2/15/2010 Letter from Elder Joshua Shelhamer

This week I will write a little bit about Cape Verde from what I have seen and witnessed so far.
This country, or republic as it is officially called, is located off the western coast of Africa. The whole country is about 1,500 miles in total. It is said that about 20% of the population lives on less than $1.25 (U.S.) a day.
The culture here is beautiful, and the people, wonderful. With the help of Portugal, Brazil, and America, (only to name a few that I have seen the influence), the country is developing quickly and many well known American products can be found in some stores. A lot of families here in Cape Verde have members of their family living in Boston in the United States. There is a direct flight from Boston, USA to Cape Verde Praia, and so family's can easily travel to this location. Many of those that live in Boston will ship American products to family members in Cape Verde in large barrels on boats.
There are banana trees in some areas, and people walking up and down the streets selling bread, bananas, and fish (only to name a few) every day.
The climate seems to stay in the 70-90 year round and possibly a bit warmer; I have not yet experienced the summer season yet.
I love the culture here. It is different to live on an island. One thing that is marvelous about Cape Verde is the beautiful sun set. It is just wonderful.
This is just a little bit about Cape Verde that I have experienced and seen so far, but to experience the full effect of Cape Verde, make a visit and experience the wonders of Cape Verde for yourself! It is well worth it!
I hope everyone is doing well, and hope to hear from you all soon.
Also - Please note that this site is in no way associated with or managed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but only a personal account of my experiences serving as a missionary in Cape Verde.

02/08/2009 Letter from Elder Joshua Shelhamer

Here in my area we have had a lot of strong winds lately, but the work of the Lord is going forth. There are a lot of visitors arriving from Brazil, Portugal, and America as well to observe the celebration of "Carnival." Other than that, everything is going alone as normal.
This week I witnessed the blessing of Obedience. I am currently teaching a family with a Father, Mother, a young boy, and a baby. They are a wonderful humble family living with under minimal conditions.
As we continue to teach them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and his commandments, they continue to follow our counsel with a willing heart. Before the father of this family came in contact with us, the missionaries, he was doing things in his life that weren't all in harmony with the teachings of Christ. As he continued to make big changes in his life, leaving things behind which he once enjoyed, we witnessed the blessings of Obedience fill his life.
One big change that this father made in his life was his work. He didn't have a good strong job, but had a job in which he only worked on Saturdays and Sundays. As this father continued to learn more about the gospel, he knew that he must attend church on Sunday mornings and observe the day of the Lord. He willingly,having faith and hope in our Heavenly Father, dropped his job. Then, not having any income, living under his conditions with a new family, something had to happen. About 3 days after this father quit his job to observe the Sabbath Day with his family, a blessing arrived. Through his obedience in observing the day of the Lord along with the other commandments, this father received a offer for a job during the week, of which he would never be required to work on Sunday. Through this man's faith in the our Father's love, and through obedience of the commandments of our Heavenly Father, this man and his family have been richly blessed. The fathers life has greatly changed from before, and the family is now enjoying the rich blessings of the gospel in their family.
I testify that obedience to the commandments of our Heavenly Father brings blessings into our lives. I know that as we strive to be children obeying our Father, he will bless us with those blessings he has prepared for each one of us.

02/01/2010 Letter from Elder Joshua Shelhamer

This past week was a great week, filled with many great experiences.
One thing that I witnessed during this past week was the power of prayer. When we pray, we are able to communicate with our Heavenly Father. We are able to open our hearts, and sincerely talk with our God. Usually during a prayer, we will thank our Father for the many blessings that we receive and that are grateful for, ask for help, strength and blessings that we need, and end our prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.
This past week I witnessed many people feel the power of prayer; the blessings that come from speaking with our Heavenly Father. It is such a privilege and an experience to hear and see a person communicate through a prayer for the first time. The joy that they have is remarkable. What a privilege it is that we are able to communicate, sincerely, with our Father in Heaven.
I have seen blessings come to those who are lost in life, and think that the world is totally against them. I have seen those with feelings of depression, thinking they are alone, find joy through a prayer. I am currently teaching a teenage girl that has some depression in her life, depending if it is a good day for her or bad. One visit to her house, we arrived, sat down, and I could tell from the beginning that she was having a rough time and that she just wasn't feeling the greatest. As we began to converse one with another, her thoughts and feelings came out. We recognized her call for help. That night we watched a short film about Christ, and the last week of His earthy ministry. After the film we discussed a little about the sacrifice of Christ, and the power of the Atonement of Christ in our life's. As we left that night, she was still a bit sad and depressed from the things occurring in her life, but the next time we returned to visit was completely different. When we arrived at her door, she had a smile on her face. We sat down and started talking, and she was happy. She had been reading the scriptures once again, and found joy in her life through Christ.
There is found happiness and joy in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This I know is true. As I continue to serve as a representative of Jesus Christ, I continually think about the great amount of joy and happiness that I have in my life. My desire to share the message of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is great.
I know that Jesus is the Christ. We have a loving Heavenly Father. The Church of Jesus Christ is the Lords kingdom once again established on the earth today.

Of these things I testify and write, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.